2017-05-12 Fri

‘Mother’ is a word that literally translates to ‘world’. It is ironic that we only take one day to celebrate the love for our mothers instead of thanking her and loving her each day.

The US Government signed a proclamation in 1914, designating Mother’s Day, held on the second Sunday in May. This was possible due to efforts of Anna Jarvis who wanted to honor her mother who was a peace activist. She wanted the US Government to set aside a day to honor all mothers for she believed that she is “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”.

However if we were to make a list about Indians whose love and respect for their parents is beyond words, Samudragupta would perhaps be amongst the top names on it. When the Kushan Empire was crumbling and fragmenting, many new and old kingdoms sprang up. One of these that would rival the Kushan Empire in size and strength was the Gupta Dynasty.

Beginning from a small kingdom in Magadha around the late 3rd Century, Gupta Empire grew rapidly under Chandragupta I and Samudragupta. Chandragupta’s marriage to Kumaradevi, a princess of the powerful Lichchhavi Dynasty was one of the most important factors for its expansion.

Samudragupta was most probably the first Gupta king to issue coins; earlier coins looked similar to that of the Kushan coins but soon new coins came out. Samudragupta is credited with issuing the King and Queen Type coins, however there is also some debate that Chandragupta I had issued it. However, from the numismatic point of view it is pretty clear these coins belong to Samudragupta as the clothes worn by the King resemble the clothes in the later Spectre type coins of Samudragupta.

The above is a 7.60 gm Gold Dinar King and Queen Type coin of Samudragupta in memory of his parents Chandragupta I and Kumaradevi. On the obverse the King is standing with the queen facing each other. The king is offering her a flower with his right hand with crescent (for Chandra) above, with legends “KUMARADEVI” on left and “CHANDRA” on right. On the reverse is a portrait of Goddess Durga sitting on a lion holding a cornucopia and pasha with the legend “LICHHAVYAH” to commemorate the marriage alliance of Chandragupta I with the Lichhavi tribe.

To know more about various Gupta coins Click here.